More than 100 vocational schools had admitted a total of 9,000 poor students for free education, the Yangcheng Evening News reported Wednesday.

The program, sponsored by the provincial education department, had recruited 4,000 junior three students whose families incomes were below 1,500 yuan (about US$180) a year, the report said.

Another program, sponsored by the provincial labor and social security department and finance department which operated for four consecutive years, had accepted 5, 000 junior three an senior three students whose family incomes were below 1,500 yuan (about US$180) a year, said the report.

The vocational schools would help students find jobs when they graduated.

The poor students were mainly from the eastern and western parts and northern mountainous areas, the report said.

The cost for each student was about 5,000 yuan a year. Some schools would cover the full cost while others will cover part of the cost, the report said.

(Shenzhen Daily September 16, 2004)